Rich, moist, fluffy, and delectable red velvet cupcakes topped with an amazing, sweet and smooth cream cheese icing. These heavenly treats are SO easy to make and perfect for special occasions.
What is a Red Velvet Cupcake?
Red velvet cake is a famous dessert known for its bright red color and smooth texture. It usually contains cocoa powder, buttermilk, and a bit of vinegar, which helps give it its deep red color. Red food coloring is then added to really give it its signature red color. It’s topped with a creamy, sweetened cream cheese frosting for a delightful experience.
What is the History of Red Velvet Cake?
Red velvet cake is believed to have originated in the Victorian era. The word “velvet” was used as the descriptor. The red color is believed to have come from beetroot juices which were used in the World War II era. There’s some belief too that strawberries once provided the color, however, the red velvet cake we know today has no strawberry flavor or ingredients. Today, red food coloring is what gives red velvet it’s vibrant red color.
Equipment and Ingredients
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 12-cup muffin baking pan
- Cupcake liners
- Mixing bowls
- Piping bag and tip set (optional)
Making homemade red velvet cupcakes is actually very easy. If you have a stand mixer such as a Kitchen Aid, it will certainly be of help. But if all you have is an electric hand mixer, you’ll be just fine to make this recipe. A 12-cup muffin/cupcake pan is the only other special item you’ll need.
The ingredient list features many very common, kitchen-friendly ingredients you likely already have on hand including flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract.
Additional ingredients such as buttermilk, red food coloring, and cream cheese are all supermarket staples and very easy to come by.
Room Temperature is important!
One thing that’s important is to make sure you use room-temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk. Placing these ingredients on the kitchen counter for an hour should be just fine. The most important thing is to have the butter softened. You can always pop a stick of butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds to get it soft. For the icing, you’ll want to use softened cream cheese. Again, 10 seconds in the microwave will do the trick if you forget to leave it out.
Preparation
One of the reasons I love this recipe is that for a baking recipe – it’s easy! All the dry ingredients get mixed together in one bowl – easy. In the mixer bowl, we mix the butter and sugar before adding the eggs, vanilla extract, vinegar, and food coloring. Also easy.
Then we mix it all together and fill the cupcake liners with the batter. Make sure to only fill them about ¾ of the way. They need room to rise to velvety perfection in the oven.
Baking
The muffins will bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 18-20 minutes. You can test for doneness by placing a toothpick into the center of one of the cupcakes. The toothpick will come out dry when the cupcakes are done. If it has any wet batter on it, let then cupcakes bake for another minute or two.
Making the Icing
While the cupcakes are baking, you can make the icing. You can use the stand mixer again or a hand mixer for this part as well.
The cream cheese and butter will get mixed together until smooth, then the confectioners sugar will get added 1 cup at a time until you have a silky smooth, amazing icing that’s ready to top off our cupcakes!
The Final Steps
When the cupcakes are done, remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Then you can start adding the icing.
If you want to put the icing on with those nice patterns, you can buy icing tips in most supermarket baking sections.
You can also cut the corner off of a standard zip-top bag to make your very own piping bag. It’s actually a lot of fun to do. Of course, there’s no shame at all with just using a knife or spoon to load up the cupcake with the delicious frosting.
And finally, add some sprinkles on top. Use red and green for Christmas cupcakes, red for Valentine’s Day cupcakes.
PrintRecipe
Best Damn Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 Cupcakes
Description
Get ready to be wowed by our mouth-watering red velvet cupcakes, topped with irresistibly smooth cream cheese icing! With a moist, heavenly texture and sweet, luscious cream cheese, these treats are sure to impress at any gathering.
Ingredients
For Red Velvet Cupcakes:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter – softened
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8oz cream cheese – softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter – softened
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients – flour (sifted), cocoa powder (sifted), corn starch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and sugar and mix on slow to start, then medium until it’s well incorporated. Then add eggs, food coloring, vanilla extract and vinegar. Mix well.
- Now add half the dry mixture to the wet mixture, along with half the buttermilk. Mix well. Add remaining dry mixture and buttermilk and mix on medium until everything is well incorporated. Do not over mix. You’ve now got your cupcake better!
- Carefully fill each each cupcake liner ¾ full with batter. No more. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Test for doneness by placing a toothpick through center of cupcake. If toothpick comes out dry, they’re ready. If not, let them bake another couple of minutes. After baking is complete, remove pan and let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove cupcakes and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
To make Icing:
- In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in vanilla extract and then 1 cup of confectioners sugar. Mix on slow until sugar is incorporated.
- Then add 2nd cup of confectioners sugar, mix slow, then 3rd cup of confectioners sugar, and mix on slow. When all the sugar is well incorporated, mix on medium for 3-5 minutes.
- Add icing to cupcakes.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Tamika Lynn says
What is the purpose of the cornstarch
RecipeTeacher says
Hi Tamika. The cornstarch is part of the consistency of the cupcake.
Nicolle says
Are you using the liquid drops or the gel food coloring?
RecipeTeacher says
Hi Nicolle. Liquid food coloring. I’ll change the recipe to specify.